Afatia |
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| Track Listing: (click links for audio samples) | |||||||||||||
1) All I Got feat. Cross'd_Out |
8) Paradise feat. RSL |
Product Description
Far beyond the lure of palm trees, lazy days and golden sunsets, a magnetic
new sound is sweeping across
Hawaii and the South Pacific bound to take the music scene by storm from
coast to coast.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Afatia Thompson debuts his first
solo album simply titled 5:54. The time referencing
the emergence of a truly unique flava that satisfies the listening palate
with a fresh, smooth taste. Urban R&B/Soul
sounds mixed with a hint of Polynesian roots assembles this album like no
other.
Being a young man of mixed Polynesian ancestry, song and dance was much
more than mere performance,
but rather a culturally rooted way of life. There was no "career start"
to speak of since singing and dancing
was a responsibility to be shouldered with integrity and perfection that
reflected one's family, culture and village
or community. Because singing and dancing begins at a very young age for
most Polynesians, it was and still is
for Afatia far deeper than what he does, but genuinely, who he is. Like
so many artists the foundation of his singing
also blossomed in the church directing and inspiring worship and acknowledging
the divine source of his talent.
The 2000 release of the group Reign with Afatia as the
lead singer in a five man group left audiences across the
state wanting more and served as a sign that the market was ready for a
new groove. Unable to fit within existing
categories of music on the scene, Afatia continues to strive for a sound
uniquely his own blending the soul
and cultural character that inspired 5:54.
Tracks from the album like "All I Got" featuring Cross'd_Out,
"All Night Long" and "Paradise" featuring RSL, all have
a bangin' hip-hop beat with a little urban island flavor. The melodies are
soulful and meaningful to the artist. "I'm not
trying to be anyone but me and represent not just myself but Polynesia as
a whole," explains Afatia. "This being my
first solo album, I wanted to make my mark as an artist and define who I
am and prove that I am in fact a real
artist and not just someone who was manufactured by some record label or
a management team." He goes on to
explain that, "Another main goal behind this album is for the music
to be appealing to a much broader mainstream
market across the Pacific, while at the same time not abandoning who he
is as a contemporary urban Polynesian. We
were able to incorporate a cool mix and fusion of undertones as well as
traditional instruments to give it a
subtle Polynesian vibe. I feel that we were subtle enough to make it different,
but not overpowering."
With 5:54, Afatia delves into the sophisticated world of R&B/Soul and
forgoes the usual island sound
made popular by the Jawaiian movement to explore a realm outside of your
normal island artist. Afatia adopts a
husky D'angelo-type intonation on "Down For Life" before switching
to a velvety smooth influence reminiscent
of Brian McKnight, on the track "So Many Things", which would
touch everyone who may have lost a loved one
in their own life. He touches on the subject of love and infidelity on "Underground"
and "So Fly, So High" and
does an amazing rendition of "Love Won't Let Me Wait" in a tribute
to the late great Luther Vandross.
Afatia is on the brink of a career that is bound to soar to amazing new
heights. Ready or not, breaking through
the music scene with an unprecedented sound…It's time for 5:54.